Casino gaming machines such as a slot machine are a staple of the casino industry. Slot machines having an underlying casino base game with an accompanying bonus game are also well known. In particular, a bonus game manifested as a “game within a game” is popular. Likewise, placing the bonus game in a top box physically above the base game, especially to attract attention and to make players feel special, are well known.
Typically, bonus games are triggered, or activated, based on the random play of the underlying base game. Once triggered, a bonus condition is issued. Dedicated base game symbols known as “triggers” are also often used, although the bonus game may be triggered by other random events.
An in-machine bonus game is one in which the player completes the bonus in a traditional, solitary manner. Community bonus games, or bonus games in which 2 or more players may simultaneously participate, have become a popular form of gaming.
Community bonus games may be triggered randomly (wherein, e.g., each linked machine has a 1 in 500 chance on each spin either through a separate random process or via base game triggers), via a mystery progressive (wherein coin-in, or a fraction or multiple thereof, is accumulated and utilized to trigger the community bonus once a mystery trigger point is met), or every set number of games (wherein players need to qualify by accumulating, for example, triggers prior to the community bonus initiating). The various methods of initiating a community bonus afford either qualifying players or in some cases, all players (e.g., by utilizing timers to determine who is “actively” playing) participation in the bonus game.
The community bonus game itself historically has incorporated competition of some kind, and each bettor chooses a character that competes, e.g. in a space race (e.g., IGT's Star Wars MLP™) or fishing competition (WMS Gaming's Reel 'em In! Compete to Win!™), to determine individual order of finish, hence awards for bettors. In at least one case (WMS Gaming's Monopoly Big Win™), all players are associated with the same token character and share an identical fate. In all cases, the characters are merely icons denoting the individual players during the bonus play.
The community bonus game typically takes place on a common screen (or screens) or apparatus (e.g., IGT's Wheel of Fortune Big Spin™) adjacent to or above the linked slot machines that are eligible to participate in the community bonus. In this fashion, once the community bonus begins, all players participating in the bonus (whether a subset or all active players) stop betting and instead focus upon a common display. The community bonus typically takes approximately 1 minute to complete, players return to betting at their individual slot machines.
Other attempts at providing bonusing to linked games include a method whereby active players must continue to wager during the bonus time period. One such example provides a mystery pool funded by wagers at linked machines, which once triggered, initiates a special mode wherein the pool is dispensed in the form of random but fixed awards (e.g., 5 credits, 25 credits, etc.) credited to individual eligible players of slot machines who continue to bet actively during the special mode (e.g., Progressive Gaming's Money Time™, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,273). In another example, during the special mode eligible machines are chosen randomly for a short time such that a win during that time is multiplied (e.g., Progressive Gaming's Hot Potato™, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,448), and the excess award (above 1×) is deducted from the pool. In both of these examples, once the mystery pool drops to a predetermined level, the special mode is discontinued and begins funding anew.
In another example of a community bonus game, players provide input on individual, eligible slot machine displays toward the goal of completing a puzzle (choosing letters, as depicted both on the individual and/or adjacent common screen, in IGT's Wheel of Fortune Triple Spin Center Stage™ game) or reaching a destination first (through mileage accumulated during free spins and/or choosing objects in IGT's Amazing Race™ game).
A continuing need exists in the casino gaming industry to provide new and exciting games to the playing public. A need exists in the casino gaming industry to create methods of playing community bonus games, as often players are motivated to play slot machines to get into the bonus games themselves. A particular need exists to enhance bonus play wherein players actively participate and do not merely passively observe. In particular, it would be desirable to have players, to enhance camaraderie, interact with each other, exchanging information and/or game-related attributes. It is desirable, as an element of the game play, to have players cooperate toward achieving a common goal, combining the cooperation with a competitive element, instead of only incorporating game play in which players only compete against one-another or, conversely, are treated as one and so all root for the exact same outcome. It would also be desirable to have players be able to individualize and/or customize their characters' attributes and/or abilities. It would be desirable to implement community games which utilize mechanical apparatuses, especially those which utilize free motion such as found in a pachinko top box, in conjunction with these aforementioned goals.
A desire also exists to implement new casino games and new methods for players to enjoy at existing gaming machines and systems, thus also offering economies to casinos.